Process of distilling hydrocarbon oil.



C. W. TURNER.

PROCESS OF DISTILLING HYDROGARBON 01L.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26.1912.

1,1 5 1,422. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET1.

WITNESSES [NVEJVTOR QM M 5% WJW $37 A/mrney C. W. TURNER.

PROCESS OF DISTILLING HYDROCARBON OIL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-'26. 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. v

CHARLES WQRTH TURNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OF DISTILLING HYDROCARBON Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 24:, 1915,

. Original application filed July 21, 1908, Serial No. 444,674. Divided and this application filed October 26,

1812. Serial No. 727,92"5.

To all whom it may concern:

' provide for. economically and rapidly distilling hydrocarbon oil, such as petroleum or a distillate thereof, by subjecting it, together' with steam or Water, to heat and high pressure while circulating through heated coils, whereby part of the heavier hydrocarbons will be split or cracked to form lighter distillate liquid products, such as naphtha, benzin and gasolene.

One of the special objects of my invention is to provide improvements in the process, whereby. earthy or mineral matter and .asphaltum, or other heavy carbonaceous material may be separated and deposited from the petroleum or other hydrocarbon while it is being preliminarily heated and at different stages in its passage through the vaporizing decomposing andlrecomposing coils.

The present invention embraces certain improvements in the process of treating oil whereby petroleum of low gravity or other hydrocarbon oil may be successfully subjected to the distilling and cracking operations for increasing\theyield of light distillates. such as nap tha, benzin,'-gasolene, etc., without danger It the coils and connecting pipes becoming clogged or choked with carbonaceous depos ts.

The matter constituting my invention will be defined in the claims;

I will now describe my process by reference to the accompanying drawing,

, which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation, with parts in section. of the dist1ll1ng,*decomposing and recomposing part of the apparatus.

'Fig. 2 represents an elevation, with parts in section. of the separating and condensing tanks for obtaining various lElllld products of different specific graantles.

, The distilling part of the apparatus comprisestwo columns of coils 1 and 2 composed of different sections of coils, suitably dis posed separating drums of comparatively large diameter and the necessary connecting pipes for effectively and rapidly carrying out the process of distilling crude petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil. In the column 1 the difi'e'rent sections of 'coils are superimposed one above another within a heat-retaining ]acket .8. The steam-generating and superheatmg coll 3 is preferably placed at the top of the casing where the temperature .is usually the highest, and the oil vaporizing C01]. 5 is located immediately below the same so that the steam andoil vapor may be readily brought together in a mixing pipe. Be

tween the outer oil feed tank and the coil 5 I have found it advantageous to interpose an oil heating and separating drum 4, which,

preferably, extends from the base of the column up through all of the coils to near the top of the acket 8, as shown in'Fig. 1. The

coils are preferably constructed of pipe havingextra thick and strong walls, adapted to stand pressure of several hundred pounds to the square inch. In the apparatus which I have in use the pipe is two inches in diameter, while the heating and separating -drum 4; aboutJfive inches in diameter and may be of a larger diameter, up to ten inches or more. This heating and separating drum 4 serves -the important purpose of preliminarily heating the crude oil and at the same time permitting the contained mineral matter and asphaltum, or other heavy carbonaceous material, to settle into the lower andp I colder end fromwwhich, at suitable intervals,"

such matter is drawn ofi' through valve-4: 5

and discharged through pipe. 31 into a tank 32. Below the oil vaporizing coil 5 is lo-- .cated a coil 6- for mixing steam or water and nected at their.v lower endsvvith a water force-pump 33 having a pipe 34:,and

branches, provided with valves35, 36 and 37, connectingwith each tank. The water supply being shutofi from the oil tanks by:

, feed pipe 21, and said pipes 18 and 18 are provided, each with a valve 19 and 20. The oil feed pipe 21 connects with the' heating I closing valves 36 and 37, both of the tanks 17 may be first'filled'with oil, such as crude petroleum, in any desired manner, and when it is desired to force oil into the vaporizing coil, water will be admitted under pressure into one of the tanks by opening valve 36,

thereby forcing oil out through the upper feed pipe into separating drum 4 and thence to the coil. The water feed pipe connects with the top of tank 9 and with thebase of the coil 3'. This pipe is provided with the stop valves 11 and 12, an intermediate checkvalve 13 anda test cook 14. i From the top of coil 3 a steam or water discharge pipe 15 extends out through the jacket8 and downwardto 'a mixing pipe 16, with which also connects the oil or vapor pipe 27 In order to determine approximately the quantity of water supplied throughothe pipe 10, valve 12 is closed, the test cock 14' fully opened and the valve 11 partly opened and adjusted so that the desired flow will be discharged through the test cock; thishaving been ascertained by observation, the test cook 14 is closedandvalve 12 opened, leaving valve 11 at the proper adjustment for feeding the desiredquantity or proportion ofwater into the coil 3. The "check valve 13 prevents .the back flow of water through pipe 10. With the topsof the oil tanks 17 connect two feed pipes, '18 and 18 which'unite with the single and separating drum 4 above its lower end and is provided with the stop valves 22 and 23, the intermediate check-valve 24 and a,

test cock25.- The flow of oil through pipe 21 is regulated by meansof test cook 25 and vadjustment of valve 22 .as' above described with; reference to the test .cock and valve on the waterpipe 10. With the upper end of the heating and separating, drum 4 'con'nects the oil discharge pipe '26 which extends downward and connects with the base of the oil-'vaporizing'coil 5. An oil or vapor discharge pipe :27 leads from the top "of coil 5 and connects through a T-fitting with the mixing pipe 1 6which leads into coil 6 for mixed steam'or water and oil or vapor. At

. the base of coil 6 a discharge pipe 28 connects with a separating "drum 29 which 'is I providedat its base with a discharge pipe,

having a valve 30, opening into the main discharge pipe 31 connecting with the receiving tank-3 2. Any tarry or other thick. carbonaceous matter which may form in coils 6 will be blown into the separating drum 29 and after .a sufiicient quantity. of heavy hydrocarbon accumulates in such drum it may be discharged by opening valve 36. Pipe 38 connects near the top of drum29 and conducts mixedi steamhnd oilvapor into the top of the combining vand superheating coil 7 fromthe base of-which leads the outlet pipe 39, connecting with the? separating'drum 43: A pipe and valve leading from pipe 52, connects with the burner 41 for supplying fuel-gas. In practice, I burn at the burners 41 and 41 part of the gaseous mixture which passes by pipe 54 from the decomposing and recomposing coil 53. The vapor or gas will pass from coil 7 into the separating-drum 43. The heavier hydrocarbon or tarry matter will be separated in drum 43 and may be discharged therefrom by opening valve 44.- A vaporgas outlet pipe 45 connects with the top of drum 43 and with the'top of the combining and decomposing coil 46 in the column 2, where cracking is effected. The coil ,46 connects with a separating drum 48 from which a pipe 47 connects withthe top of coil 46*, from the base of which a pipe v '47 connects with a separating drum 50, having at the bottom an outlet pipe and valve 49 which connects with the drain pipe 31 leading to tank 32. A'vapor-gas outlet pipe '51 passes from drum 50 up through the column of coils to the top of an upper section of coils 53 in which the operations of still further decomposing and recomposing hydrocarbons are effected. From the base of this coil extends a vapor-gas outlet pipe .54 leading to the firstseparating and con densing tank 60. A pipe 52 may"connect with pipe 54 for conducting fuel -gas to the burners-41 and 41*.

Special oil burners may be used, in which oil and water are fed to heating coils and the resulting vapor-gas-burned, instead of drawing ofl vapor-gas from pipe'54. The flame and hot products pass from the burn- .ers up through the columns of coils and thence down between the coils and the heatoutletipipe 80 connects centrally with the top of tank 60 and extends downward-below the middle portion thereof whereits end is open for conducting off a different-density of vapor from that which passes off through pipe 90. In practice, I provide a series of separating and condensing tanks 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66, and I mayemploy sixteen or more of such tanks for separating and condensing hydrocarbon distillate. of difi'erent gravities. These tanks are connected by pipes, and valves 71 to 76, to cooling coils like that shown at 56 in the water tank :57 ,i, and each of said coils is provided with af-drawofi pipe 56. The tanks are connected in series by pipes and valves 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, leading each from the top of one tank to the middle portion of the succeeding tank, and each tank hasa separate vapor discharge pipe, 80, 81, '82, 83, 84,

85, to the end of the series, which connect .inch. It will be understood that with these high pressures and with a sufiiciently high temperature, which may be from 400 .to

. 800 Fahrenheit, in the coils 6 and 7, the

jackets 8.

circulation of water, .oiland combined vapors will be very rapid and that distillation will be efiected with correspondingrapidity. In the column 2 I preferably carry the temperature upto a degree between l000 and 1200 or 1400 F ah. A

pressure gage 102 is also applied separating tank 60.

The apparatus having been constructed and connected substantially as above described and shown in the drawings, and the tanks 9 and 17, respectively, filled with water and petroleum, the operation of distilling and cracking the hydrocarbon, to

' form products of different gravities and then separating such products, may be conducted as follows:

The columns of coils may be primarily heated by supplying fuel oil to the burners, or by burning any waste material saturated with oil at the base ofthe columns in the raised to the desired degree in the jackets,

' the pump 33 will be started, thereby forcing water into the base of tank 9 and one of the tanks 17 now by properly adjusting the valves in the supply pipes as. previously de scribed, water willbe supplied under pressure to the steam generating coil 3 and oil will be supplied under pressure to the preheating and separating drum 4 and thence by pipe 26 to the oil-heating and vaporizing coil 5.. .As soon as a sufiiciently high degree of heat has been attained, superheated water or steam will pass by pipe 15 to the mixing pipe 16, and at the same time'oil or vapor will'be passed by pipe 27 to said mixing pipe 1.6, and the mixture will be forced through coil '6 where the steam and oil or vapor will bemore intimately mixed and heated andthen discharged through pipe 28 mto the separatingv drum 29. Y Here the.

The temperature having been heavier hydrocarbons, tarry matter and earthy material or other impurities will be arrested and settle to the bottom, while the lighter vapors or liquids will be conducted by pipe 38 into the combining and superheating coil 7 in which will be produced vapor-gas. The heavy hydrocarbons, containing p'araflin and tarry matters which may settle in the drums 4 and 29 will be,at suitable intervals,- drawn 0d, and conducted by pipe 31 to the receiving tank 32. The vapor gas discharged from coil 7 through pipe 39 into the separating drum 43 Wlll also part with the heavy hydrocarbons which will settle in said drum, and may be drawn ofi through pipe and valve 44 and conducted by pipe 31 to tank 32. The vapor-gas passing ofl from drum 43 will be conducted through the-coil 46, where it will -be subjected to a high heat, usually about 1000 Fahrenheit, thereby causing the heavier hydrocarbons to be split up or cracked intohydrocarbons of light specific gravity. I therefore obtain a greatly in-f creased yield of lighter hydrocarbon oils,

such as naphtha and gasolene, from crude petroleum. Paraffin, naphthalene and tarry matter which may be formed will be separated in the drums 48 and 50. By successively causing separation of heavy carbonaceous matter, including parafiin and naphthalene, a superior quality of--lubricat--- ing oil will be collected in the first two-or three separating and condensing tanks. 60, 61, 62, of the series. In the succeeding tanks 63, 64 and 65, a high grade of illuminating oil or kerosene will be separated and de- I posited. In the succeedingtanks of the Y series, which may be of any desired number,

there will be separated various gratities of lighter oils and any desired number of these light oils such as benzin, gasolene, etc., may be separately drawn 0E and stored. v,

This applicationtis a division of my copending applicatiomfierial Number 444,6? 4, filed July 21, 1908, covering the apparatus herein shown and described, for which Patent No. 1,046,683 was issued Dec. 10, 1912.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: U

1. Theprocess of distilling and separating hydrocarbon oil into distillates of dltlei ent gravities, which consists in preliminarily heating a body of oil and causing separation and deposit'of heavy hydrocarbon or asphaltum and tarrymatter, forcing the separated and heated lighter oil into a yaporizing coil and at the same time forc1ng water intoa separate vaporizing co l, forcing the resulting oil, and water vapors together underpressure through a superheater at a temperature to'cause' cracking of the hydrocarbon into lighter products, then releasing the 'vapor products from pressure and heat and separating the different liquid gravities.

The process of distilling and separating hydrocarbon oil into distillates of difierent gravities, which conslsts in forcing oil oil and forming different gravities, Which consists in subjecting mixed oil and Water vapors alternately to pressure and heat and to expansion and cooling. thereby cracking the lighter constituents to form an increased percentage of hydrocarbons of light specific gravities, and at the same time depositing the heavier constituents, and then releasing. the vapor productsfrom pressure and heat and separating the different gravities.

4. The process of distilling hydrocarbon oil and forming difl'erent' gravities, which consists in subjecting oil combined with Water vapor to pressure and heat, then to expansion at a reduced temperature, thereby separating the heavier constituents, then subjecting the lighter constituents or prod nets to pressure and-heat abovev the distilling temperature to cause cracking, into hydrocarbons of lighter gravity, then releasing the resulting products from pressure and heat and separating the different gravities.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses CHARLES WORTH TURNER.

Witnesses:

E. B. CLARK, EDWIN S. CLARKsoN. 

